Energy absorbing device



Feb. 20, 1940. l R C, MERCE 2,190,996

ENERGY ABSORBING DEVICE Uriginal Filed Jan. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FS 57" ,SATT RNEY Feb. zo, 194g.

R. c. PIRCE lENERGY ABsoRBING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 26, 1937 mi m www V t m n CTN, 05h if WW www F y m- 5. a W 3 4 7 Patented Feb. 2D, `1940 PATENT oFFicE ENERGY ABSORBING DEVICE Raymond C. Pierce, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 26, 1937, Serial No. `122,338

` Renewed July 15, 1939 11 claims. (c1. 267-9) My present invention relates to energy absorbing devices and, more particularly to devices used is that wherein combined elliptical-leaf and 15 coil springs are used. Then again other devices are resorted to wherein special types of volute or coil springs are used which are capable of providing frictional energy absorption by` relative motion between the spring members.

However, irrespective of the type of spring or the device med to control the action thereof, the ultimate desired result is based largely upon the operating conditions of the vehicle` and the degres of shock absorption necessary to meet average working conditions. If, for example in the case of rail vehicles, friction springs are used and more than approximatelytwenty percentum of the total energy given the springs is absorbed stiff or hard riding of the pay load results and,

`likewise too little absorption will not control oscillation of the springs at certain critical vehicle speeds.

Having the foregoing facts and conditions in mind, I have evolved a simple, economical and practical design wherein the applied forces are transmitted or transformed into a direction sub` stantially at right angles thereto and `then absorbed to an extent sufficient to meet all desired operating conditions.

, i9 The many `objects and advantages of such a control device will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and more readily apparent after reading the following specification and the Cit `which. friction devices may be built.

Figure 6 a longitudinal sectional modified form; and

Figure '7 a longitudinal sectional view of a second modified form thereof.

In the drawings, I have illustrated my inven- 5 tion as applied to the customary freight car design, and use such illustration merely because it perhaps more aptly, generally speaking, discloses the salient features of myinvention than would certain other types of installation to which my 10 invention may be applied.

Railroad car springs are generally of the group type and are placed between the end of the bolster, which supports the car, and the lower F or tension member of the truck side frame, which l in turn is supported by bearings riding on the axle journals. The bolster and column guides, which are a part of the side frames, are made of unmachined cast steel and must be loosely iitted to give the car truck sumcient flexibility for 20 operation over rough roadbeds. As a consequence'there isconsiderable horizontal motion between the ends of the springs in addition to the vertical motions imparted by the passage of the car truck over the road bed. Due to the 255 short length of the springs as well as their relatively short diameters, there is little space into The lack of parallel motion lengthwise of the springs also i View of a makes the problem of-designing eiiicient small 30H adequate frictional areas but also because the 315y friction parts will not stay in surface contact due to non-parallel motion of the parts themselves.

To secure more room for friction parte and to enable me to secure a design in which the friction parts will remain in surface contact in spite 40 of non-parallel motionfof the springs, I have provided means for transforming the direction of forces from vertical to horizontal, thus securing` anydesired amount of space and I have produced the friction parts of such design as to remain always in surface contact.

In the form of my invention illustrated I overcome the weaknesses of other designs in a manner which I shall now describe.

In the drawings the numeral Ill designates one i bolster and truck side respectively. In the apture 23, and inclined bearing surfaces 24, fory engagement with inclined bearing surfaces T26 of a pair of friction shoes 21. The'shoes21 are best illustrated in Figure 4 and, consist of a flat body portion 28, which provides a large friction surface 29, and an upstanding portion 30 for engagement with a spring mechanism later# to be described. It will be clearly seen that by reason of the angular contact between the roller seat 2| and the inclined surfaces 25 of the friction shoes 21, all wear on the friction surfaces of the shoes will automatically be taken up thereby, and that any desired vpressure between friction surfaces may be secured depending upon the angle of the surfaces employed.

Between the friction blocks 21 is mounted a friction bar 3| which has an elongate body portion 32 reduced at one end and carries at each end a pair of lugs 33 and 34. The body portion 32 engages the friction surfaces 29 of the friction shoes 21. The lugs 33 are used to lock a spring retaining flange 35v in' position and, as best shown in Figure 3, are, in assembling the unit, passed through a slot 36 in theretaining :flange 35, which is next rotated a quarter of a turn, whereupon the lugs 33 are seated in recesses 31 when the assembly is completed. A coil spring 38 surrounds the friction bar 3| and engages the retaining ange 35 at one end and a washer 39 at the other. The washer 39 has an opening centrally thereof, corresponding to the cross-secl tional shape of the friction shoes 21 and, when the Washer is in position, engages the upstanding flange 30 of the friction shoes.

The opposite end of the friction bar 3|, through the medium of the lugs 34, engages the outersurface of the member 22 and any outward movement of said member causes the,v friction barto move in a similar manner. f

The operation of my device as just described is as follows. Assuming the device to be correctly positioned in the truck assembly of a freight car in motion, the combined movement of the car body, the bolster and truck side frame will cause the springs |'3 to be compressed more or less depending upon the forces to which the springs are subjected. Any movement of the plates |4|5 will cause the wedge blocks I6 to be likewise affected, which movement causes the inclined surfaces |1 and I8 to forcev the rollers I9, I9', 29 and 2li' to move laterally and inturn to move the roller seats 2| and 22. The lateral movement of the roller seat 2| causes vthe friction shoes 21 to move against the action of the spring 38, and to frictionally engage the friction bar 3|. The roller seat 22, in engagement with the opposite inclined surfaces of the wedge blocks I'B, will also be moved laterally but in a direction opposite to that of roller seat 2|, and because of the fact roller seat 22 is held in engagement with the friction bar 3| by the lugs 34, the bar 3| is caused to move in the same direction.' This later movement opposes the movement of the frictional area of the friction members.

friction shoes 21 which results in a greater energy absorption, as is desired.

As will be readily seen the forces to which the springs |`3 are subjected are transferred into a direction substantially at right angles thereto, and thereafter, because of the frictional engagement of the several parts, absorbed to an extent desired.

. [In FigurevG, I have illustrated a modified form of my invention wherein `I make the friction bar 3| in several parts so as to increase the total In the design shown, the bar is made in three parts 4U,

A4| and 42,'the middle member 4| having recesses 43 in the edges thereof for engagement with lugs 44 projecting inward from the side bars of the roller seat 2|. Thelugs 44 hold the member 4| in alignment with the roller seat 2| and cause the same to move in unison therewith. As in the case of my preferred form the members 49 and 42 are secured at one end to a spring retaining flange 35 and at the other to the roller seat 22.y The operationof this embodiment is the same as the preferred form.

In Figure 7, I have illustrated another form of my invention wherein the roller seats 2| and 22' are identical and each is arranged to engage similar friction shoes 45 which in turn engage a common friction bar 46 under the tension of springs 38. The outer ends of the springs 38' engage retaining flanges 41 which are secured to the ends of the friction bar 45 as in the case of the flange 35, By thisarr'angement the total frictional area between the friction shoes and the friction bar is considerably increased, additional spring capacity obtained, and a more balanced device results. p

In operation the present modification functions substantially as before except that the movement of the friction bar is reduced to a minimum which fact is offset by increased motion of the friction parts due toa lesser angle of the wedge blocks.

Throughout the specification and drawings I have described andillustrated my invention as constituting a device for controlling the movement of a spring, or a group of springs as aunit, but I wish it clearly understood that my invention may be used in place of the usual spring or spring units. For example, my device may-be used in place of .the usual elliptical springs in an automobile chassis in which case my device would be secured between the frame of the chassis or sprung portions thereof, and the axle or unsprung portions, and the movements therebetween controlled as in the case of springs.

While I have'described a preferred form of my invention and also two modications thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to such disclosures alone, nor to the specific materials designated, unless such limitations are included in the attached claims wherein I claim:

1. In an energy absorbing device, the combination of roller means having a minimum energy absorption for transforming forces into a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of applied force, and friction means including a plurality of friction surfaces movable relatively to each other under the pressure of a spring and a wedging action.

y 2. In an energy absorbing device, the combination of low friction power transmitting means for transforming forces into a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of applied force,

and friction means including a plurality of fric.

working substantially at right angles to the direction of'applied force, said frictional absorbing means being actuated` by the movement of a spring through the medium of interposed surfaces and rollers.

5. An energy absorbing device comprising inclined surfaces for transmitting applied forces, rollers held in engagement with said inclined surfaces, a pair of friction shoes in engagement with said rollers and movable in a plane at right angles to the axis of said inclined surfaces, and

`friction members in frictional contact with said friction shoes, said friction shoes and said friction members being so arranged as to permit of relative movement therebetween under the action of a spring interposed between said friction shoes and said friction members.

6. An energy absorbing device comprising a pair of inclined surfaces, a pair of' friction shoes arranged for relative movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of said inclined surfaces and having low energy absorbing contact with said inclined surfaces, and friction members arranged between said friction shoes, said friction shoes and said friction members being so arranged as to permit of relative movement therebetween under the action of a spring interposed between said friction shoes and one of said friction members.

'7. An energy absorbing device comprising a pair of wedge blocks having inclined surfaces, rollers in engagement with said inclined surfaces, a friction bar arranged centrally of said wedge blocks and having its major axis at right angles to the direction of applied force, a pair of friction shoes in engagement with said friction bar, means interposed `between said friction shoes and said rollers on one side of said wedge blocks for transmitting `movement therefrom, means inter- 8. An energy absorbing device comprising, a

pair of wedge blocks interposed between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass, rollers in contact with said wedge blocks, a friction bar interposed between said wedge blocks and having its major axis substantially at right angles to the direction of the maior forces to which the device is subjected, friction shoes in frictional contact with said friction bar, and means interposed between said friction shoes and said rollers for transmitting forces from said wedge blocks to said friction blocks.

9. An energy absorbing device comprising, a pair of wedge blocks interposed between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass, rollers in contact with said wedge blocks, a friction bar interposed between said wedge blocks and having its major axis at right angles to the direction of the major forces to which the device is subjected, friction shoes in frictional contact with said bar, resilient means interposed between said friction shoes and one end of said friction bar, and means interposed between said friction shoes and said rollers for transmitting forces from said wedge blocks to said friction blocks.

l0. In an energy absorbing device, the combination of low friction absorbing means for transmitting energy with minimum loss into a direction substantially at right angles thereto, and energy absorbing means acting along lines substantially at right angles to the applied forces, consisting of wedging means in coi-operation with a spring, the action of said wedging means not being` influenced by said energy transmitting means.

11. In an energy absorbing device, the combination therewith of frictional energy absorbing means operating substantially at right angles to the direction of applied f'orces, said frictional energy absorbing means consisting of Wedging means in co-operation with a spring and actuated by the movement of said spring through the medium of low friction absorbing energy transmitting means.

RAYMOND C. PIERCE. 

